our mission

Our mission is poverty for the non-poor. We work to end poverty by walking well-meaning people to the cliff that is the intersection of economics, race and faith.

At UrbanSpirit®, we are changing the world by changing the way we see the world.®

UrbanSpirit® is a community. We began in 2001 with the awareness that the biggest need in this neighborhood wasn't another church to collect members. We rebelled against the notion that churches have to have members.

UrbanSpirit® is a destination.If your group is searching for something more than a work camp or mission trip, this is for you. As you live out your faithful desire to serve, we also help you live out God's call to learn.

UrbanSpirit® is an attitude.As a faith-based outreach with an interfaith understanding, we believe that poverty is an impediment to the common good and inconsistent with most faith traditions. And most people of faith don’t really want it to be that way. We believe that if you could see what we see here, you would agree.

UrbanSpirit® is a lesson in faith and economics. Through our variety of programs, we help well-meaning people of faith see the ugly roots of an American system that keeps people poor.

UrbanSpirit® is a danger.We are paying attention, and through us, others are learning to pay attention. We believe poverty can be ended. Those who are enriched by the status quo, who want faith to be powerlessly "personal and private," who think the church and other faith communities should keep their noses out of social realities, those folks will not appreciate our work. We believe God still calls prophets, and we want to make space for voices that don't often get heard. We want to change the system.

UrbanSpirit® is a different approach.A lot of folks build houses, collect food, donate clothing and share resources for home heating and cooling. They address an immediate need. We want to help by eliminating the need. We'll ask why people are without clothes, food, homes, dignity. And we'll help you get to the root of the problem. We want nothing less than to mend the world.

So, leave your power tools at home. At UrbanSpirit®, the Project is You!®